Over the past year, Intel and AMD have brought some impressive CPUs to the market, each offering unique advantages for gaming.

Whether you’re looking to upgrade or purchase your first gaming PC, selecting the right CPU is essential for maximising performance and playing your favourite games without a hitch.

In this guide, we'll explore the top picks for gaming CPUs in 2024, highlighting their strengths and what makes them stand out in the competitive world of PC gaming.

BEST OVERALL CPU FOR GAMING

In 2024 we at Fierce PC would say that the best overall CPU for gaming would be the:

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

  • Socket: AM5
  • Cores: 8
  • Threads: 16
  • Base Clock: 4.2GHz
  • Boost Clock: 5.0Ghz
  • Base TDP: 120W
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the best overall CPU for gaming in 2024

Released in first half of 2023, this processor keeps its crown as the best overall gaming CPU for 2024. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D from AMD is known for its exceptional gaming performance, often recommended over its pricier competitors. This makes it the ideal choice for gamers who are looking to achieve the best performance when gaming.

You may think that it’s core and thread count isn’t that impressive, but its abundant 96MB of L3 cache helps the CPU excel substantially when it comes to gaming. The CPU benefits from AMD’s 3D V-Cache Technology, which boosts gaming performance significantly, but sacrifices some of this performance in productivity applications.

PROS

  • Top tier gaming performance for under £500.
  • AMD 3D V-Cache Technology increases L3 Cache to 96MB.
  • AM5 platform allows for upgradability to 2027 and beyond.

CONS

  • Somewhat low clock speeds compared to other CPUs around a similar price.
  • No box cooler included.
  • Currently low stock availability worldwide.
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BEST INTEL CPU FOR GAMING

On team blue, the best CPU for gaming would be the powerhouse that is the:

Intel Core i9 14900K

  • Socket: LGA1700
  • Cores: 24
  • Threads: 32
  • Base Clock: 3.2Ghz
  • Boost Clock: 6.0Ghz
  • Base TDP: 125W
The Intel Core i9 14900K is the best Intel CPU for gaming in 2024

Offering top-tier performance and making it ideal for high-end gaming as well as demanding applications. However, it can be prone to overheating if not properly cooled.

Whilst the i9 14900K will also excel in productivity applications, an argument could also be made for the Intel Core i5 14600K and the Intel Core i7 14700K, as the gaming performance between these CPU’s and the Core i9 isn’t too dissimilar, but the price difference can be substantial.

PROS

  • High level of gaming performance.
  • Excels in productivity workloads too.
  • Supports Intel APO game optimizing technology.

CONS

  • High power draw & high temperatures.
  • Better value CPU’s available for minimal performance difference.
  • Little difference compared to last generation.

BEST AMD CPU FOR GAMING

Since we’ve already covered the Ryzen 7 7800X3D within the best overall gaming CPU, an alternative AMD CPU for this category will be the recently released:

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

  • Socket: AM5
  • Cores: 8
  • Threads: 16
  • Base Clock: 3.8Ghz
  • Boost Clock: 5.5Ghz
  • Base TDP: 65W
Not including the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the Ryzen 7 9700X is the best AMD CPU for Gaming

The Ryzen 7 9700X offers excellent single-threaded performance and great power efficiency, making it for an excellent choice for gaming, as well as productivity applications.

PROS

  • Reduced TDP and operating temperatures.
  • Zen 5 architecture allows for better energy efficiency.
  • Includes AMD Radeon Graphics, which can be useful for basic tasks and light gaming.

CONS

  • Performance is only slightly better than last generation.
  • Doesn’t perform as well in multi-threaded applications compared to its competitors.
  • No box cooler included.

An honourable mention also goes to the Ryzen 7 5700X3D, which will be best gaming CPU for the AM4 platform, since the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is no longer being manufactured. Benefitting from AMD’s 3D V-Cache Technology, as well as a substantially reduced price when compared to the 5800X3D, this makes it currently the best upgrade option if you’re already on the AM4 platform and you’re looking to upgrade your CPU.

BEST BUDGET CPU FOR GAMING

If you’re looking to upgrade on a budget, then you have a couple of options to consider from AMD and Intel.

AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600

  • Socket: AM4
  • Cores: 6
  • Threads: 12
  • Base Clock: 3.5Ghz
  • Boost Clock: 4.4Ghz
  • Base TDP: 65W
The Ryzen 5 5600 is the best budget AMD CPU for gaming

This budget AM4 chip is a great option to go for if you’re looking for a PC on a budget. Especially if you’re looking to upgrade and you’re already on the AM4 platform. Superseding the Ryzen 5 3600, the Ryzen 5 5600 is a great upgrade option for 1080p gaming when paired with an entry-level / mid-range graphics card. You can also save money on a cooler with this CPU, since the AMD Wraith Stealth CPU Cooler is included in the box.

Intel Core i5 12400F

  • Socket: LGA1700
  • Cores: 6
  • Threads: 12
  • Base Clock: 2.5Ghz
  • Boost Clock: 4.4Ghz
  • Base TDP: 65W

For Intel you would be looking at the Intel Core i5 12400F for a great budget gaming CPU. Containing 6 Cores, 12 Threads and a low power consumption, as well as support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 RAM. This CPUs strong performance and low cost makes it a great option when looking at a budget Intel CPU upgrade or PC build.

WHEN TO UPGRADE YOUR CPU

You should look to upgrade your CPU if you experience issues such as performance bottlenecks or system slowdowns. The performance bottlenecking will occur when your CPU is struggling to keep up and get the best out of your graphics card. System slowdowns will be when your CPU is struggling to do everyday tasks efficiently, especially if your CPU is several generations old.

You may need to keep in mind that if you have an older system, then you are more than likely also going to need to upgrade your motherboard and RAM to support a newer processor. If your PC is using DDR3 RAM for example, then you are going to have to upgrade your motherboard and RAM to utilize any newer modern processor.

However, in some instances, you may not even need to upgrade your motherboard and RAM. More so if you’re on the AM4 platform, which has been going since 2016 and AMD are still making CPUs for. This means that if you’re currently using a processor like the Ryzen 5 2600 and looking to upgrade to something like the Ryzen 5 5600, then all you need to do is update your motherboard’s BIOS and you’re good to go to install your new CPU and benefit from the increased performance.

ARE INTEL OR AMD CPUS BETTER FOR GAMING?

Both Intel and AMD offer excellent CPUs for gaming, but the best choice depends on your specific needs and budget. AMD CPU’s do benefit from having a range of X3D CPUs, which will increase gaming performance to new heights. This is why currently AMD CPU’s have the edge of the competition when it comes to strictly gaming. AMD CPU’s also have the benefit of the AM5 platform, which has only been around for a couple of years now and will continue to be supported until 2027 and beyond.

However, Intel could be an option to consider if you’re looking for a CPU that’s going to be used for productivity tasks, as well as for gaming. It should be noted that at the time of writing, Intel has had problems with it’s 13th and 14th generation CPUs recently crashing and failing with instability issues. This has been fixed with a BIOS update that needs to be applied to your motherboard, but it could be something to consider when looking at Intel CPUs.

WHAT SHOULD CPU USAGE BE WHEN GAMING?

Usage can vary depending on the game, as some games are more CPU intensive than others. But most of the time you’d want your CPU usage sitting at around 50% - 70% when gaming, with more intensive games going up to 90%.

If your CPU usage is constantly at 100% and no temperature issues are present, then it’s likely struggling to keep up with your graphics card, leading to performance issues and will need to be upgraded if it’s on the older side.

On the flip side, if your CPU usage is below 50%, then it’s not being fully utilized. This could indicate that either your CPU is not working at full capacity, or the games you are playing don’t rely on the CPU. Overall, if you aren’t experiencing any performance issues with low CPU utilization, then it’s nothing to worry about.

SHOULD I OVERCLOCK MY CPU?

Overclocking your CPU is when you increase the clock speed of your CPU past it’s factory settings to increase the performance output.

Even though it can increase your systems performance and can be more cost effective, due to the instability, potential damage, as well as voiding your CPUs warranty, we would not recommend overclocking your processor.

WHAT IS CPU BOTTLENECKING?

CPU bottlenecking is when your system performance is hindered by your processor.

If your CPU is bottlenecking when gaming, then you’ll experience low frame rates and stuttering in games. This is due to the CPU not being able to process the game data fast enough for the GPU to render it.

This can be noticed during gaming when your GPU’s usage is not hitting 100%, whereas the CPU’s usage is constantly at 100%. This means that the GPU cannot reach it’s full potential and making the CPU the weak link in your PC setup.

If you’re looking to upgrade your current system with a brand-new processor, then check out our configurable motherboard bundles